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The average global net access speed was now about 7.2 megabits per second (mbps), said the report which looks at how broadband, mobile phones and other communication technologies are used around the world.

However, it added, that headline figure masked significant differences between nations. In general, it said, net connection speeds in more developed nations were rising faster than elsewhere.

For instance, it said, the average access speed in South Korea was now about 28.6mbps and peak speeds of more than 184mbps had been seen in Singapore.

By contrast line speeds in many developing nations, such as the 1.5mbps available in Nigeria, had not improved significantly since the last UN broadband report was released last year.

A “chasm” could emerge because of the “deepening inequality in global connectivity between starters, adopters and front-runner countries”, said the report.